The present disclosure generally relates to the field of biochemical research, biochemical routine analytics, clinical diagnostics and clinical research and, in particular, to a device for gripping vessels, for example, for transferring vessels to an analytical compartment for analyzing samples.
In recent years, automated analytical instruments (“analyzers”) offering a variety of analytical methods have become commercially available. Modern analyzers usually can process samples in standard sample vessels such as plastic cuvettes which allow for an easy and cost-effective sample analysis such as, for example, by photometric methods. In order to process samples in a batch-wise or continuous manner, it is known to supply vessels in bulk form to the analyzer which are automatically separated to provide single (separated) vessels for the processing of samples. An apparatus for the automated separation of vessels supplied in bulk form to an analytical instrument is known in the art.
For using vessels in the process of analyzing samples, the vessels are transported from a picking position of the apparatus for the automated separation of vessels to an analytical compartment. It is known to transport vessels by an automated gripper configured to grip a vessel at the picking position and release the vessel at another position. In conventional analyzers, such a gripper is provided with two gripping jaws for gripping or releasing of a vessel which are coupled to a separate motor controllable to move the gripping jaws towards or away from each other. Such gripper, for example, can be found in commercially available analyzers.
However, there is a need for an improved device for gripping vessels which is simple and robust in construction, which can be manufactured and maintained in cost-efficient manner where device control is less complex than conventional devices resulting in a reduced risk of failure and false operations and that requires only a comparably small constructional space.